American Crossroads Runs Ad With Close-Up Of Woman Without Her Approval

An American Crossroads ad running in several states features several close-up shots of a Chicago woman now saying that she was never consulted as to whether or not she wanted to participate in the video or endorse its message.

Deanna Moffitt, an actor, comedian and writer, said she was amazed to find out that she had become part of an effort from Karl Rove's conservative 527 organization to bash President Obama on television.

At first, Moffitt didn't believe a friend who told her she had seen her face in the Crossroads ad. But after tracking the video down on YouTube, there was no mistaking the matter.

The ad begins by asking, "Where has Obama taken us so far?" and then lists poor economic indicators. "All the while Obama wracked up $5 trillion more in debt," the commentator says as the screen pans to a close-up of Moffitt's face, staring forlornly at the audience.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Moffitt said she knew exactly where the footage originated -- a stock video site that her friend had posted a clip on a few years ago. The price that American Crossroads paid the stock video site to use Moffitt in their ad -- without her knowledge -- was $75.

"I immediately went to outrage," said Moffitt, who learned the price Crossroads paid for the video from news reports. "For something like American Crossroads, with all of the money in its coffers, to create an ad for a pittance without any sense of who the people in this ad are ... is falsifying the message."

Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for American Crossroads, did not directly address Moffitt's complaint that she was being unfairly portrayed in the group's ad. Instead, he pointed to a series of television spots run by Democrats that also contained stock footage.

But the fact that using stock video is a common practice in political campaigns -- as is the fact that a person portrayed in such a video wouldn't necessarily be notified when that video was purchased after it was originally sold -- still doesn't sit well with Moffitt.

"I'm certainly not naive enough to think that this isn't being done by both parties," Moffitt said in an email. "Does it make it right? No. Ultimately, it's a slippery slope of manipulation that plays into what I believe is damaging our political landscape: a lack of transparency and truth in the message that we are fed and a corporate agenda that is forgetting the actual people our government is here to lead and protect."

The fact that several of her friends alerted Moffitt to her casting in a Crossroads spot is a testament to just how pervasive super PAC and campaign ads have become in swing states. Virtually everyone, even the politically inactive, are being inundated by campaigns and allied groups. And not just once in a while, but on a repeated basis.

"If it hadn't been for contacts in Florida, Ohio and North Carolina who know me and my political point of view, I may never have found out," Moffitt said. "But I did. And now I want people in those states to know that I don't believe in the message American Crossroads is trying to send."

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Donors Giving $500,000-Plus To Super PACs

Donors Giving $500,000-Plus To Super PACs

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Sheldon Adelson And Family (R)

Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino magnate, and his family have combined to give $53.69 million to super PACs in the 2012 election cycle. At first, Adelson pumped money into Winning Our Future, the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, but now he is funding groups backing Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans. Adelson is ranked on the Forbes list of the richest Americans at number eight, with $21.5 billion in net worth.
Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, gave $15 million to Winning Our Future. His daughters Sivan Ochshorn and Shelley Maye Adelson each chipped in $500,000. Another daughter and her husband each gave $250,000.
Adelson and his wife have also given $20 million to Restore Our Future (supporting Romney), $5 million to Congressional Leadership Fund, $5 million to YG Action Fund, $2 million to Freedom PAC (supporting Connie Mack), $1.5 million to Independence Virginia PAC (supporting George Allen), $1 million to Ending Spending Action Fund, $1 million to Treasure Coast Jobs Coalition, $1 million to Patriot Prosperity PAC (supporting Shmuley Boteach for Congress) and $250,000 to Conservative Renewal PAC, $250,000 to Texas Conservatives Fund (both supporting David Dewhurst) and $190,000 to Hispanic Leadership Fund.
Adelson remained in the number one spot among super PAC donors after counting contributions for August. He has allegedly given in excess of $70 million when contributions to non-profit groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Republican Jewish Coalition are included.
His involvement in politics revolves around his support for the state of Israel, in particular the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His business, along with that of other super PAC donors, is also under investigation for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.